China Open 500

[herios]

Nole leads 5-2 in the first set.

 

[Kirijax]

Djokovic is just too good. No. 45 Djokovic-Nadal tomorrow!

 

[Front242]

Have to say I personally think this court absolutely sucks. 3 winners for Djokovic and 4 for Ferrer in that first set. It's way too damn slow and completely impossible to hit winners and I expect the same lopsided score against Nadal tomorrow as a result.

 

[nehmeth]

Good to see Novak play the first set without the intensity (and still win rather handily).

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4iuQC9nqg8[/video]

 

[Kirijax]

Saturday's Results!

Semifinal:
(1) N Djokovic (SRB) bt (4) D Ferrer (ESP) 6-2, 6-3
(3) R Nadal (ESP) bt F Fognini (ITA) 7-5, 6-3

So we get Part 45 of the Djoko-Rafa show! Nadal leads the H2H 23-21. Last win for Nadal over Djokovic was the 2014 French. Djokovic has won both matches since then. Both straight sets on clay this year.

 

[Front242]

Watching Novak on this court? :nono It's as though they built it for him

Yup, can't see anyone having a chance to beat him here. In fact I'd say anyone who wins more than 6 games is doing remarkably well since you simply can't hit any winners. The polls should be not who wins but how many games the loser will win. I'll go with 5-6 games tops for Nadal. Either 6-2 6-3 or 6-3 6-3.

 

[nehmeth]

Watching Novak on this court? :nono It's as though they built it for him

Yup, can't see anyone having a chance to beat him here. In fact I'd say anyone who wins more than 6 games is doing remarkably well since you simply can't hit any winners. The polls should be not who wins but how many games the loser will win. I'll go with 5-6 games tops for Nadal. Either 6-2 6-3 or 6-3 6-3.

Novak played a pretty sloppy match out there against Ferret. Hopefully that means he's looking ahead to the final. Pretty sure he'll get it done in two sets.

 

[Front242]

^ To say I'd be surprised if he doesn't get it done in 2 sets would be understatement of the year. Unless Nadal turns into Superman overnight, this one is a routine straight sets win for Novak for sure.

 

[nehmeth]

^ To say I'd be surprised if he doesn't get it done in 2 sets would be understatement of the year. Unless Nadal turns into Superman overnight, this one is a routine straight sets win for Novak for sure.

China is the land of mysterious potions... we might be surprised.

 

[Front242]

Haha, I'll stop short of talking about making potions and surprise with Nadal and we'll leave it at that :snicker

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FajdpErMBZQ[/video]

 

[Fiero425]

Have to say I personally think this court absolutely sucks. 3 winners for Djokovic and 4 for Ferrer in that first set. It's way too damn slow and completely impossible to hit winners and I expect the same lopsided score against Nadal tomorrow as a result.

I don't understand all the kvetchin' about the slowness of the court! You can still hit winners if you want; hitting behind a person or coming into the net! Ya'll make it sound like it's slower than CLAYl "it isn't!" :cover :eyepop :nono :angel:

 

[Kieran]

Haha, I'll stop short of talking about making potions and surprise with Nadal and we'll leave it at that :snicker

He might borrow a bottle of Mirka's milk to help him.

Rafa ain't beating Nole tomorrow but I'd like to see some signs he's heading in that direction...

 

[Carol]

^ To say I'd be surprised if he doesn't get it done in 2 sets would be understatement of the year. Unless Nadal turns into Superman overnight, this one is a routine straight sets win for Novak for sure.

China is the land of mysterious potions... we might be surprised.

Well, Nadal is still far of his best while Novak is playing his best like Superman, so unless that Rafa would play like he knows (it could be) no surprise about if the Serbian win

 

[Front242]

Novak isn't playing his best at all and doesn't even need to. He was barely in 2nd gear against Ferrer today. It's just that this slow court makes it like a practice session for him since most opponents can't hit any winners past him, can't ace him (see Isner) and he can run down almost every shot as the court is so damn slow so that frustrates them and they eventually hit the error and he wins the point. Plus, the slow court tires the opponent out with every rally averaging more shots than faster courts. This court is perfect for Novak. The most athletic guy out there who can run everything down, makes few mistakes and serves very well himself. It's pretty damn hard for anyone to withstand that.

 

[Kirijax]

So...I guess we don't need a poll for this one? :snicker Sure would be nice to see a competitive match though. Things sure would get interesting if Nadal won. But hard to imagine how he would. Never say never though.

Please tell Rafa the 70s called. It wants its shorts back.

 

[Kieran]

Is the court that much slower than usual?

 

[nehmeth]

Novak isn't playing his best at all and doesn't even need to. He was barely in 2nd gear against Ferrer today. It's just that this slow court makes it like a practice session for him since most opponents can't hit any winners past him, can't ace him (see Isner) and he can run down almost every shot as the court is so damn slow so that frustrates them and they eventually hit the error and he wins the point. Plus, the slow court tires the opponent out with every rally averaging more shots than faster courts. This court is perfect for Novak. The most athletic guy out there who can run everything down, makes few mistakes and serves very well himself. It's pretty damn hard for anyone to withstand that.

The score line would have been 6-1, 6-1 if Nole hadn't donated two service games. :snicker I think it's good that he had a 'loose' match before refocusing for the final.

 

[Fiero425]

So...I guess we don't need a poll for this one? :snicker Sure would be nice to see a competitive match though. Things sure would get interesting if Nadal won. But hard to imagine how he would. Never say never though.

Please tell Rafa the 70s called. It wants its shorts back.

Hey, I resemble that remark! That is what I want all players to do; get off the clam-diggers and bermudas! Love the tighter shorts which are really "short!" All these guys with the spindly legs need to go this route esp.! They look ridiculous with baggy shorts hangin' down to their knees! :eyepop :cover :nono :angel: :dodgy: